Electric locomotive for toy and model railroads



R. MUNZING March 17, 1970 ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROADS Filed July 31, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 17, 1970 R. MUNZING 3,500,580

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROADS Filed July 31, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ,206 Int. Cl. A63h 33/26, 19/00, 19/02 US. Cl. 46-243 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Model electric locomotive in which all connections in the electric circuit of the locomotive are formed by resilient engagement of the wires of the electric circuit with each other and with terminals of the electric components of the circuit.

The present invention relates to an electric locomotive for toy and model railroads. With electric locomotives for toy and model railroads there exists the problem to connect to the driving voltage derived from the two track rails insulated with regard to each other or from the track and an overhead wire the various electric elements, in particular the drive motor usually provided with a permanent magnetic stator, a front and rear head light and therectifier or the chokes and condensers associated with the motor for assuring a proper operation of the latter. In this connection these structural elements are expediently connected by means of a conductor to the vehicle body forming the mass while a second line is connected to a conductor system insulated relative to said mass. For purposes of avoiding loose contacts, the wiring is, in most instances, connected to the respective parts by soldering.

Thus, it is commonly known within a front and rear recess on the top side of a vehicle body preferably consisting of diecast zinc to provide insulating plates of plywood, compressing wood or the like to which are connected by soldering the diodes, impedance coils, and condensers for shielding the motor. For the feed lines to the motor and the headlights also soldering connections are required. Such soldering connection, however, has the following drawbacks: The soldering during the final assembly of an electric toy locomotive is a relatively untidy and time consuming operation. The manufacturing costs are considerably increased by .such work, and in case of repairs, such soldering connections have again to be destroyed and to be restored after the repair has been completed.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide wire connections for a toy locomotive, which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to so connect the wires in a toy locomotive with the respective parts that a firm reliable contact Will be established without resorting to soldering.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES la-lk respectively diagrammatically illustrate the individual elements of an electric toy locomotive according to the invention without housing and carriage.

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FIGURE 2 shows the finished assembled vehicle body as seen from the top.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the vehicle body of FIG. 2, partly in section, and partly in side view.

FIGURE 4 is a wire diagram for the vehicle body illustrated in FIGS. 1-3.

The electric locomotive according to the invention is characterized primarily in that the wiring of the electric elements built into the locomotive is effected exclusively through resilient clamping means. The electric toy locomotive which has a heavy vehicle body has its top side provided with recesses in which insulating elements are provided for the wiring. According to the invention, the insulating elements which preferably are injection molded, are provided with holding extensions to which the feeding lines to the electric elements required for rectification, shielding, and the like, are firmly connected while said feeding lines simultaneously serve as fixed contacts and resilient clamping connections. In particular, the present invention suggests to effect the main wiring connection by means of at least two resilient wires in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and adapted to be clamped between fixed contacts arranged on both sides of the vertical central plane of the locomotive. These resilient wires may also be used for holding elements in the heavy vehicle body as, for instance, for holding the motor in a recess of said vehicle body and for holding contact plates and also for holding ferritic bodies.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. l-4 illustrate that the mechanical as well as the electrical connection of all vehicle parts are effected by means of clamp ing connections. The trucks and the body of the vehicle are not shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1a shows the heavy vehicle body which is preferably made of die-cast zinc and is provided with numerous recesses. One of said recesses receives the motor 2 (see FIG. lb) which is insertable into the respective recess from the top. The worms 4 provided at both ends of the motor shaft 3 will be located in corresponding recesses vof the vehicle body 1 above worm wheels provided on the trucks and arranged in meshing engagement with said worms 4. The flat top side of the motor 2 which is provided with a permanent stator has mounted thereon an insulated plate 5 having two contacts 6 riveted thereto. The purpose of these contacts 6 consists in holding the collector brushes provided in the interior of the motor in their respective positions. These contacts 6 normally also serve as soldering contacts for the current feed lines. With the arrangement according to the present invention, the free ends 7 of these contacts 6 are notched and bent upwardly.

FIGS. 1d and 12 represent identical insulating bodies 8 which, as will be evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, will be located in recesses of the vehicle body 1. These insulating bodies 8 are held in their position above the vehicle body by means of an arm 9 which according to FIG. 1a is provided on the clamping yoke 10. The arm 9 resiliently rests on the surface 11 of the insulating body 8. In view of the pressure exerted by the resilient arm 3, the insulating bodies 8 are with their extensions 12 held against the abutments 13 on the vehicle body 1. The insulating bodies 8 rest by means of their extensions 14 on the vehicle body while therebetween there is provided a recess 15 for receiving the socket of the lamp '16 shown in FIG. 1g. The glass body 17 of lamp 16 lies in a trough-shaped portion 18 of the vehicle body 1. The lamp 16 is held in its position by means of the arm 20 of the clamping yoke 10, which arm resiliently rests on the center contact 19.

The insulating body -8 has furthermore arranged thereon four upwardly extending holding extensions 21 for connecting the diodes 22 illustrated in FIG. If. The connection of these electric elements serving for the control of the light and mounted on the extensions 21 is effected in such a way that one each of the two feeding lines 23 and 24 are so wound around said extensions that a fixed contact extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is formed between the two oppositely located holding extensions 21. The feeding line located above the recess 15 is passed twice back and forth between the extensions 21 and forms an arched surface which forms the counter contact, i.e. forms a portion of the threaded socket for the lamp 16. In this way the two lamps 16 and the diodes 22 are arranged in series at each end of the vehicle body. Those ends of the insulating body 8 which face each other are provided with somewhat elevated additional. transversely extending extensions 25 which have vertical bores near their lateral ends. These extensions 25 are at their top side provided with a groove 26. As will be clearly evident from FIG. 1d, the two feeding lines 27 of a small condenser 28 are from below threaded into the two lateral bores while those ends which extend through said holes are located within the groove 26 without contacting each other. Those portions of said feeding lines 27 which below the extension 25 freely rest upon the same, likewise form fixed counter contacts for an electrical clamping connection. An intermediate extension 29 insulates the two vehicle sides with regard to each other.

As will be seen from FIGS. and 3, the two ends of the vehicle body 1 above the truck are provided with insulating plates 30 having connected thereto contact plates 31 by means of pivots. These contact plates 31 have upwardly extending arms 32 which extend through a recess 33 in the insulating body 8 and have their ends bent into a book 34. The wiring of the electric elements fed from the contact plates 31 is effected by a single resilient wire 35 (FIG. 1i), which has its end angled in a U-shaped manner. At the final assembly, this wire 35 is clamped alternately between the contacts 23, 27 and 6 and has both ends suspended in the hooks 34. In this way a firm clamping connection .will be established between the contact plates 31 on one hand, and all connecting conductors of the electric elements on the other hand.

The two tubular ferrite cores 38 previously slipped over the wire 36 will together with two additional ferrite cores and the condenser 28 serve to prevent any interfere ences with the motor 2.

The second connection of the wire ends is effected by the straight resilient wire 36 shown in FIG. 1k upon which likewise two ferrite cores 38 have been slipped. This wire is clamped between the contacts 6 and 27 of the other vehicle side while its ends resiliently engage the yoke 10. The studs 37 on yoke 10 prevent the wire 36 from slipping toward the side.

As will be seen from FIG. 4, by means of the clamping connection according to the invention, all electric elements are connected to the two voltage bars. The clamping yokes 10 provided on the vehicle body will, since they consist of good electrically conducting material establish a good electric connection to the heavy vehicle body, which in a manner known per se, as through one set of wheels, is electrically connected with a rail different from the rail engaged by contact plate 31 so that wire 35 forms one side of the electric current while wire 36 forms the other side thereof.

As will be evident from the above, with the wiring according to the present invention, soldering is avoided prior to and during the final assembly. The present invention makes it possible with relatively simple and low cost means to effect a fast and simple wiring of the locomotive during the final assembly while the established electric connections are so firm that loose contacts cannot occur.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A model electric locomotive having a main frame; and circuit elements on the frame in the form of energizable driving motor means, lamp means, and auxiliary circuit components; input terminals carried by the frame for supplying electric current to said circuit elements, and electric circuit means connecting said terminals in circult with said circuit elements, said circuit means comprising in its entirety wiring and resilient clamping connections to avoid solder for engaging said wiring.

2. A model electric locomotive according to claim 1, in which said frame is provided with recesses on the top, and insulating members mounted in said recesses and comprising upstanding projections for supporting engagement with a portion of said wiring and interference-avoiding auxiliary components.

3. A model electric locomotive according to claim 2, in which said projections include projections on said insulating members in laterally spaced relation and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of said frame, and said wiring including resilient feeding wires extending between laterally spaced ones of said projections and supported thereon and forming firm contact elements transversely extending laterally of the same frame.

4. A model electric locomotive according to claim 3, in which said wiring includes at leasttwo resilient wires extending longitudinally of the vehicle on opposite sides of the center line thereof and supported in clamped engagement with said firm contact elements.

5. A model electric locomotive according to claim 4, in which said motor means includes a firm contact on top in the vertical plane of each said resilient wire, each said resilient wire' engaging alternately over a respective motor contact and beneath a said contact element and being clamped therebetween and pressed against the respective motor contact.

6. A model electric locomotive according to claim 5, in which said input terminals are in the form of a pair of contact plates on the bottom of the frame near the ends, an insulating plate supporting each contact plate, each contact plate having an upwardly extending arm having a hook on its upper end extending through insulation recessing, and one of said resilient wires engaging the hooks on said arms to support the contact plates and their insulating plates While establishing electrical contact of the contact plates directly with said one resilient wire. 7. A model'electric locomotive according to claim 6, in which wound end-s of said one resilient wire are also formed as U-shaped hooks.

8. A model electric locomotive according to claim 7, in which clamping yokes for truck holding are provided near the ends of said frame engaging the frame and also engaging the other said resilient wire, each yoke having a first resilient finger engaging an adjacent said insulating member centrally and a second resilient finger extending in the opposite direction, said lamp means comprising a lamp at each end of the vehicle engaging the frame at one end and having a terminal resiliently engaged directly by the respective adjacent second resilient finger.

9. A model electric locomotive according to claim 8, in which each insulating member has a yoke and recessed end part complementarily receiving and embracing the base of the adjacent said lamp.

10. A model electric locomotive according to claim 9, in which one of said contact elements adjacent each lamp is in the form of at least two lengths of Wire extending laterally between the pertaining projections and serving as a socket electrically engaging the base of the adjacent lamp.

11. A model electric locomotive according to claim 8, in which said insulating members concurrently engage over both of said resilient wires on opposite sides of said motor contacts and press the wires in clamping engage-. ment directly against the contacts and hold the motor means in its recess.

12. A model electric locomotive according to claim 11, in which ferrite cores for eliminating interference are mounted on said resilient wires on opposite sides of said motor contacts.

13. A model electric locomotive according to claim 11, in which each said yoke has projection means thereon engaging said other resilient wire prevented from slipping toward the outer side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,009,425 11/1961 Lingard 462l7 X 3,012,365 12/1961 Kretzrner 46217 X 3,076,288 2/1963 Ernst 46-243 ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Primary Examiner ROBERT F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 462l7; 105-49 

